Show Me What I'm Looking For
by Alex Beckett
Summary: The kingdom of Avonlea has completely fallen, and Princess Belle is desperate to escape her home because staying behind means going off to her future home, The Kingdom of Kaeslara, with her fiancée, Prince Gaston. Princess Belle will do anything to leave. Red of Westgate is a lonely peasant with a particular skill-set that Princess Belle requires. What happens when they meet?
1. Adventure In The Great Wide Somewhere

Avonlea, the once beautiful and prosperous kingdom by the moutains and the sea had completely fallen to the savagery of the ogres, and nobody knew what to do, not even Princess Belle.

But that was just as well, because even if Belle had had an idea, nobody would have listened to her, anyway.

Belle was engaged to Prince Gaston, from the neighboring kingdom of Kaeslara. She had been engaged to him since the day of her birth, and they were friends as children, but when they grew up, he became groomed to be the king of Kaeslara, but along with that, he became stupid and vain, and for fun, he enjoyed hunting, a hobby that Belle grew to find repulsive because she couldn't wrap her mind around the idea of killing an animal for sport. On the other hand, while Belle became trained in the ways of learning how to be a wife, she became wildly intelligent by spending most of her spare time by reading books. By the time she was fifteen, in fact, she was fluent in several foreign languages. Gaston thought it was a waste of time (as did his parents), while Belle's father was indifferent about how smart his only child was becoming. As for Belle's darling mother, while she was alive, she encouraged Belle to learn as much as she could because being smart was the key to her finding her own happiness in places other than Avonlea or Kaeslara.

* * *

But every day that Belle remained her father King Maurice's castle and saw the fires of the battlefield off in the distance where young children were fighting and dying at the hands of the wretched ogres, she remembered that she was trapped.

She felt even more trapped by the fact that Gaston had moved into the castle three years ago to help King Maurice with battle plans. He wasn't even at their castle for a month before Maurice promoted him to second in command, and because Belle was to be his wife and he didn't want to miss a chance, they started having children right away. Sons mattered more to Gaston than being married.

Belle agreed because she always wanted to be a mother, and also because she felt that being a mother would give her a distraction from the craziness in her life. (She also didn't want to ever be married to someone like Gaston, so it made no difference to her about having illegitimate children because she wouldn't love them less) She wanted a daughter because she wasn't sure if she could bring a son into the world because that meant that meant that Gaston's family line would carry on, and she didn't want to be responsible for that, not when Gaston had come to start treating her like his personal property. All Belle wanted was a daughter.

Her wish came true: nine months after they tried for a baby, Belle gave birth to a healthy, beautiful baby girl. Belle adored her daughter, but Gaston, upset that Belle hadn't had the son he so desired for his heir, tried again with Belle, only for her to miscarry. When they tried again, she carried the child to term, although it was another daughter.

Downright upset by Belle's apparent 'inability' to have sons, Gaston turned abusive and punished Belle sexually to the point where the princess was pregnant yet again at age twenty-one, and beginning to feel broken.

This was no way to live, and her children didn't deserve this life.

She needed to get out of Avonlea with her, possibly to The Enchanted Forest for asylum.

It was just a matter of coming up with a way to get out.

* * *

"You wanted to see me, papa?"

It was evening, now and Belle had just put her daughters to sleep. She also had to give herself a pat on the back because she'd made it through another day of hiding her pregnancy. It had been intention to go to bed because she was feeling extremely nauseas due to the baby in her belly, but her plans became derailed when a servant appeared, telling her that her father was requesting her presence.

She couldn't refuse him, so now she found herself in the war room, standing at the head of the table, waiting for her father's response while also ignoring the stares of the other members of the council.

"It is no longer safe in Avonlea for you or your children; it is time for you all to go somewhere safe."

His tone made her feel uneasy because she had a feeling that his response to her next question wasn't going to be something she wanted to hear.

"May I ask what our destination is?"

"The castle of King Irving and Queen Beverly."

The two people in question were Gaston's parents, and if Gaston didn't like Belle, his parents were even less than fond of her because she hadn't given them any grandsons yet. Living at their castle would spell misery, all the way around, but Belle also knew she'd never be able to feel right about going to her future in-laws' realm at all because they were said to be allies of Regina, the Evil Queen. She wouldn't feel right about raising her children in a place where someone like Regina could come strolling through the door on any given day of the week.

"Father, no!" Belle cried. "I _can't_ go to them; I _just_ can't!"

Signaling some of the other members of the war council to hold Gaston back as he tried to lash out at Belle for her adamant refusal, Maurice responded to his daughter with an air of dismissal.

"You are due to be married, as it is, Belle, so this is just as good a time as any to go to Kaeslara."

Belle opened her mouth to protest further, but her father arched an eyebrow at her, and she stayed quiet. Rare was the occasion when Belle gave her father any backtalk, but when she did, she was easily silenced. Tonight was different, though, because she had a feeling that it could mean the difference between a normal way of life and total misery.

"Not another word, Belle. Go on and pack, or shall I send a servant to help?"

"No, thank you, papa." Belle said quickly. "May I go back to my room now?"

Maurice nodded and he and his men returned their attention back to their battle plans.

By the time she got back to her bedroom, she realized that it was now or never: she was going to take her children and run. Tonight.

Working quickly, she found a rucksack pouch and filled it with the absolute necessities that she and her daughters would need before closing it and tying it to the belt on her dress, keeping it nearby. She also found a warm long-sleeved cloak to wear and put that on, too.

After that, she found some warm clothes for her daughters to wear during their journey. As an afterthought, she found a sling for her baby daughter to rest in so she'd have her hands free and fastened it on her body before sitting on her firstborn's bed with her.

"Violet, my sweet." Belle cooed to her three-year-old as she scooped her into her lap and planted a few smooches on her cheek. "It's time for up again. Come on, baby girl. Come on."

It took a few moments, but Princess Violet woke and gave her a heart-melting smile. "Is it morning, mumma?"

Belle shook her head and pulled Violet into a sitting position as she began to dress her. "The sun still has yet to wake, but I've decided that you, Jade, and I are going to go on an adventure."

Violet was immediately more awake. "An adventure?"

"Uh-huh. There you go."

Belle had outfitted Violet in a clean outfit, stockings, and her favorite sleeved cloak. As Belle fixed her daughter's hood on her head, she felt herself turning to mush because Violet was her spitting image and was looking at her with all of the love and the trust in the world.

"I love you, mumma." Violet kissed Belle on the cheek. "So much."

"And I love you, too." Belle hugged her daughter. "The most important part about our adventure tonight is that it will only work if we don't tell anyone. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Violet said seriously, catching her mother's drift. "I'll be good."

"Thank you." Belle told her sincerely. "Please get your shoes on while I get your sister prepared."

Genuinely excited about their adventure, Violet headed off to do as she was told.

Luckily, at four months old, Jade was a very easygoing baby, stirring just for the briefest of moments when she became settled in her sling; the new cocoon of warmth was even warmer than her crib had been. Feeling her mother's heartbeat and body heat was the cherry on top that allowed her to sink into an even deeper sleep.

Before they all disappeared together through a forgotten secret passageway along the back wall off Belle's room, the auburn-haired princess found a lantern and lit it before extinguishing the rest of the candles in her bedroom.

The secret passageway led to a road outside that the peasants used when coming from neighboring villages or kingdoms to come trade at the marketplace, which was conveniently located in the courtyard of King Maurice's castle.

* * *

After awhile of traveling down the deserted lane, her way lit by the light of her lantern and the moon overhead in the sky, Belle's ears perked up at a particular sound, although it wasn't a welcome one. Off in the distance, back at the castle, she could hear the angry yells of the Gaston and the guards; they had all just realized that Belle and her children were missing, and they were leaving the courtyard gates on horseback to recover them.

At that same moment, a woman dressed for traveling and sporting a bright red hooded cloak for warmth was just up ahead on the path. She had been at marketplace all day and well into the night, running her stall of wares. She'd actually made a decent profit and when the market closed, she deconstructed her stall and loaded up her horses; she wanted desperately to go straight home to her family, but the trading had gone longer than she'd expected, so she was going to stay at an inn for the night. The inn wasn't too far away, and she was looking forward to a hot meal.

She had heard what Belle had, and in the gloom, she saw the princess freeze as she tried to figure out what to do. Hungry, but deciding that a rescue was more important, she tied the reigns of her horses to a nearby tree branch and proceeded to double back. The woman moved stealthily through the underbrush until she was about eight feet away.

Between Belle's hearing the sounds in the people of her former home and the mystery woman coming back for her, less than two minutes had elapsed, and that was as long as it took for Belle to realize that someone else was in the immediate vicinity with her and her children. When she turned, she saw the woman in red beckon to her.

"Come quick, Princess Belle!" she stage whispered to her. "Quickly!"

Something was vaguely familiar about this woman to Belle, and since she wasn't posing a threat, she decided to trust her and hurried over to her with Violet and Jade. The second they reached their new ally, she blew out the candle in Belle's lantern and pulled them all in to the tall grass to hide with her.

Moments later, the guards came thundering past on horseback, Gaston in the lead. None of them had stopped to consider that Belle could have hidden on the side of the path, so they were gone as quickly as they'd come.

When Belle's rescuer signaled that it was alright to speak again, the princess exhaled a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding.

"Wow! Thank you for that!"

The woman pulled back her hood, and the moonlight shone on her face, illuminating it, and Belle's heart skipped a beat because she was convinced that she was looking at the most beautiful woman in the world.

"You're quite welcome, Princess."

Belle smiled kindly at her. "You saved my children and me; you've more than earned the right to call me by just my name."

"Then I'm _honored,_ Belle. Does this mean that we're friends?"

"Most definitely. What is _your_ name?"

The woman gave Belle a beautiful smile that came naturally to her. "My name is Red."

"What a beautiful name."

Red nodded towards Violet and Jade, and Belle's heart leapt as she remembered that none of people who lived outside of the castle walls knew she even had children. Gaston had been adamant that none of the peasants know that they had children until they had at least one son to be an heir to throne of the kingdom of Kaeslara.

Red was more interested in the little ones than upset that this was the first time that a non-royal or non-noble was finding out about the kingdom's littlest royals.

"Who do we have here?"

"This is Violet, and she's three." Belle touched a hand to the sling. "And Jade is asleep in here; she's four months old."

The infant in question slumbered on while on the ground, Violet was nodding off (she'd reached her limit of being awake) and blew a kiss to Red before succumbing to her sleepiness and falling forward. Red caught her and took her into her arms to keep her from hitting the dirt.

"Belle," Red said. "Where were you going?"

"Anywhere that isn't Avonlea... My endgame is The Enchanted Forest."

Red shook her head. "That's a bad idea; the place is in disarray."

Feeling like she lived under a rock, Belle asked her friend, "Why?"

"King Leopold was murdered a few weeks ago, his daughter is rumored to have run away, and the king's wife..."

Belle connected the dots. "She's this 'Evil Queen' there's been whispers of, huh?"

Red nodded. "Yes, and she wouldn't have a reason to be interested in you unless you've done something wrong to her... have you?"

"No." Belle answered honestly. "I've never even met her, but Prince Gaston's parents are friends with her, though."

Even though Red technically lived in The Enchanted Forest, she still travelled to Avonlea often enough to know that Belle and Gaston were engaged, and from what interactions she'd had with him, she'd gotten the impression that he wasn't as prince-like as he presented himself. Red couldn't blame Belle for wanting to run away.

"Then come with me."

Belle was taken aback. "Pardon?"

"I'm going to an inn about a mile away, and I'm going to have dinner and stay the night before I return to my village to return to my grandmother and my little girl." Ruby explained. "I'm friends with the owner at the inn, and if I ask her to, she can give us one of the private rooms and not say a word if anyone comes asking for you or your children. In the morning, you can come with us and I can give you a horse and supplies to take with you further on your journey."

Belle suddenly felt an intense rush of affection towards Red. "You would do that for me? We just met."

"I haven't had a friend in a very long time, and you're a mother. I want to help."

Red stood, balancing the fast-asleep Violet on her hip and held her hand out to Belle.

"Westgate is on the border of The Enchanted Forest, but if you change your mind about going on, you're more than welcome to stay with us."

Belle already liked Red as it was, but hearing how close Westgate was to her destination 'sealed the deal,' so to speak. "Alright, then. We'll come with you."

Belle took Red's hand and allowed her to pull her up, although when she stood, she had a small vertigo episode; apparently the baby in her belly didn't like when she moved suddenly.

"Are you alright?" Red asked Belle when it passed.

Already herself again, Belle nodded. "Yes. Thank you."

Red nodded towards Belle's middle, which the princess was now resting her free hand on, and smiled kindly at her.

"How far along are you?"

Belle became taken aback. "H-how did you know?"

"I'm the village midwife." Red winked. "I'm a trader, too, but my true passion is bringing babies into the world."

Belle couldn't help but smile at that. "I'm three months along, and nobody knows... except for you."

Red arched an eyebrow. "The baby in your sling is four months old, but the one in your belly is three months into gestation?"

"I'd rather not talk about it..."

"Alright, then." Red nodded in the direction from whence she'd come. "I've got a pair of horses up ahead. Come on."

Belle peered in the same direction, too, before she and her companion locked eyes again. "But Red, it's dark."

Red winked again. "I can see in dark very well; it's a sort of talent. Give me your hand so we don't get lost on the way back to the horses."

Belle held up her hand to show Red, and she giggled. "We're still holding hands from when you pulled me up."

Even in the dark, Red's face turned to color of her name and tightened her hold on Belle's firstborn. "I've got Violet; do you have Jade?"

Belle cradled Jade in her sling, holding her close. "Yes. She's a very good sleeper."

Red gave Belle's hand a squeeze. "Then let's go."

"Lead the way, then."

And so Red led Belle back to the horses, telling the princess about herself since the danger had long passed. Belle was coming to like Red even more, the more she learned about her.

This was the start of a beautiful friendship.


	2. Belle And Red

Upon arrival at the inn, they met Red's innkeeper friend, Mira, and she led them to a private room, where she promised not to say a word about Belle or her children staying the night. She also stabled their horses and made sure that the unconventional family had food and drink before leaving them to their own devices for the night.

Red put Violet down on a bed in the corner and Jade in a crib next to it before sitting with Belle on the bed. She was in bed, glad to be off her feet, but she had yet to eat, although not because the baby was making her feel ill. No, the consequences of her actions were catching up with her, and she was left feeling topsy-turvy.

"How are you feeling?" Red asked her gently.

"I don't know," Belle said truthfully. "But I'm so happy that the girls and I don't have to spend another day in my father's castle... or go to Gaston's."

"I'm glad, too." Red reached out and cupped Belle's face in one hand for a second. "I'm becoming fond of you."

Belle actually smiled at that. "And I'm becoming fond of you."

It was true: both women were definitely fond of each other, and even though they'd been in each other's lives for less than three hours now, their bond was already feeling like they had been meant to find each other all along, but were just now realizing it.

Realizing that she was lingering, Red got to her feet and made her way over to the table where Lilah had left their meal.

"Are you hungry?" she asked Belle.

"I actually _am_ hungry." Belle admitted. "I don't remember the last time I ate."

Red made a tsking sound as she brought the food tray back to the bed and set in on the bedside table. "You need to keep your strength up, yes, but especially with twins."

Had Belle already not been laying in the bed, she would have definitely fallen over. _"T-twins?"_

Red nodded and handed Belle one of the bowls of soup so she could stay grounded. "Mhm. The last pregnant woman in my village who was as tired as you already are at this early of an hour in the evening was carrying twins."

"What did she have?" Belle asked, feeling dazed.

"A boy named Benji and a girl named Becca. They're a few months older than my little girl."

Red nodded towards Belle's middle which was now more apparent because she was in a form-fitting nightgown, having changed into it the second she could.

"And your middle is bigger than even the last time, I wager, isn't?"

Belle nodded. "This is actually the fourth time I've been pregnant; the pregnancy before this one didn't last, and the baby died."

"I know the feeling, Belle." Red told her, her voice quiet and sympathetic. "I really do, and I am so sorry for your loss."

Noticing that Belle was yet in a daze, she gave the younger woman's ankle a gentle squeeze.

"Now eat up, hm? The journey to Westgate will take three hours, at most, and if we set out in due time in the morning, we'll reach it before midday."

"Alright."

Belle felt her stomach rumble, so she finally made herself eat. Red ate, as well, and they made small talk with each other, careful not to wake the children.

When they were done, Red put the tray of the now-empty bowls, cups, and plates back on the table by the fireplace, which, in an hour or so, would be nothing but embers. Full and extremely sleepy now, Belle watched as Red tidied up and found a spare nightgown in the same place she had found hers. After a quick change behind a changing screen in the corner of the room, Red stood by the empty side of the bed.

"Belle, you don't mind if I...?"

Truth be told, Belle was actually desperate for a companion, especially one who was gentle. As a child, she was by herself (unless Gaston was around), but now that she was an adult, all she wanted was peace for herself and her children, and only with someone who was kind.

 _Red_ was kind.

"No, not at all." Belle yawned and pulled back the covers for her. "Come on."

Red smiled at that and climbed into the bed, blowing out the candle in her lantern on the bedside table. Except for the faint glow of the fire on the hearth, the room plunged into darkness. Normally, Belle was deathly afraid of the dark (she had been, for as long as she could remember), but after everything that had happened in the last few hours alone, she was conquering that fear.

Tonight, she felt content for the first time in she didn't know how long.

"Red?" she said to the woman beside her.

"Hm?"

"I've seen you in Avonlea before, but I can't quite place where."

"I come to the market once a month to trade. You've probably seen me there and not realized it. I've seen you there, many times, you curious beautiful girl."

Had Red not been as drowsy as she was, she would have kept her guard up a little more and actually thought before saying those last four words; calling another woman beautiful was just something that you didn't do, but she couldn't help herself because Belle was undeniably beautiful. Then again, Red really had had a _really_ long day, and by this point, sleep was consuming her with every passing second. The next thing she knew, she was fast asleep.

Belle, meanwhile, had heard Red's words and she fell asleep knowing that she'd remember them the following day. She wouldn't tell.

Before she was _all_ the way asleep though, she dreamt that she and Red were happy together, with her little girl, and with Violet, Jade, and the twins.

She wouldn't tell Red about that, either.

* * *

The next morning, Belle woke to the sound of a rooster crowing and also the feeling of her stomach roiling. Luckily, the room they were staying in was on the ground floor of the inn, so she dashed outside and emptied the contents of her stomach at the base of a nearby tree. Red woke not long after her and hurried out to help her.

"Okay, Belle." Red cooed to the princess when it was all over. "I'll bring you back inside and make you some tea. That helped me when I was pregnant."

"Sounds good."

The next twenty minutes was a daze for Belle, but it included making herself decent and Red telling her not to worry about to worry about the mess she'd made outside, or the children, if they woke because she'd take care of everything.

At the end of those twenty minutes, Red was pressing a steaming mug of peppermint tea into her hands and saying, "Drink up!"

Belle did, and by the time she was finished, she was feeling back to herself.

"Do you think you can manage food right now?" Red asked her. "We should eat before the children wake."

"Good idea. Violet sleeps like the dead, but Jade," Belle stopped and looked out the window, noticing that the sun was just about to rise. "She always wakes early. She should be awake soon, in fact."

"Then I'll be right back."

Belle began to remember the night's events, and while she processed what had happened, she decided that it was either the gods deciding to smile at her, or else the fairies looking out for her.

Yes, this felt more like the fairies' doing.

Belle had seen one of the most important fairies recently, in fact: she'd seen Tinker Bell.

While the rest of the fairies were very choosy about who they appeared to, Tinker Bell the benevolent appeared to anyone who was particularly sad, and did what she could to help out.

She had appeared to Belle earlier in the month, while she was wandering the castle and formulating an escape plan. Belle had spent most of her life wishing to see a fairy, even if it was only ever just one time, so once she got over the surprise of seeing Tinker Bell in her childhood home, of all places, and promising not to tell anyone in the castle that she'd seen her, the woman in green listened to her talk about how sad and scared she was.

It turned out that fairies were very good listeners, and that comforted Belle a great deal because just for a little while, it was like having her mother back with her, and she had always been a very good listener.

After lots of hugs, reassurances and tear-drying, Belle said something very profound, albeit cryptic.

 _"You must continue living your daily life as you always do, even if it makes you scared. The happiness you so desire will happen, but only when you least expect it. Everything is in the order of the order of things. Trust me, Princess."_

 _That wasn't all Tinker Bell had done, though._

 _"Tink?" Belle asked, slightly disconcerted by how the fairy had suddenly started studying her intensely._

 _"You don't know, do you?"_

 _"Know what?" Belle asked blankly._

 _"Stay still, please."_

 _Belle did, and was very surprised when Tinker Bell approached her. She watched curiously as Tinker Bell put one of the hands in the small of her back and the other on top of her middle. In the space of a single heartbeat, Tinker Bell sent a small burst of green magic from her palm to Belle's body._

 _"What just happened?" the princess asked her elder, now feeling warm and very loved as a result from the jet of magic._

 _"As I thought: you're with child, Belle." the fairy told her kindly._

 _Belle's heart plummeted faster than she would have liked. She'd been suspecting this for awhile, but was mostly in denial because Gaston had come home very drunk one night, not too long after Jade's birth and raped Belle, telling her that he would stop at nothing until they had seven little boys. He took his time with Belle, and after he spent himself inside her, he fell asleep, leaving Belle to clean herself up and make her way back to her own bedroom in the dark._

 _Gaston was too hung over in the morning to remember what he'd done, but he couldn't understand why Belle wouldn't look him in the eye._

 _"A-again?" Belle stuttered, her eyes filling with a fresh round of tears. "I can't carry any more of that monster's children! I can't! I won't!"_

 _Tinker Bell held the human's face in her hands and wiped her tears with her thumbs. "Even though this pregnancy will play a huge role in you finding the happiness?"_

 _Belle was immediately derailed by that. "Excuse me?"_

 _"I know what it may not seem like it now," Tinker Bell put her hands back Belle's middle and poured as much love and goodness as she could into it. "But there will be nothing but wonderful things in your life by the time you give birth; you just have to figure out for yourself along the way, even if everything hurts right now, exactly how those wonderful wonderful things will present themselves to you."_

 _"Really?"_

 _"Really."_

 _Belle nodded towards the position of Blue's hands. "What are you doing?"_

 _"Making sure that your offspring knows only love, joy, happiness, and the peace of the fairies.… if that's alright."_

 _Belle had gone from feeling sad to terrified to peaceful in the space of about five minutes, and it was dizzying, but she still managed to keep her head in the conversation._

 _"Oh, it is, Tinker Bell. Thank you."_

 _"You're quite welcome. I have a question for you, Princess Belle."_

 _"Please just call me Belle. What is your question?"_

 _"How many children do you have?"_

 _"Two beautiful and perfect little girls: Violet and Jade."_

 _"They have color names; how darling." Tinker Bell mused. "Do your children have godparents?"_

 _"No." Belle said. "Nobody in the royal court wants to be godparents to two illegitimate children."_

 _"I hate words like 'illegitimate' because all children are innocent and equal when they're born. I've always believed that."_

 _"As have I."_

 _Tinker Bell smiled at the human, liking her even more and more. "If it doesn't bother you, may I be a fairy godmother to your present and yet-to-be-born children?"_

 _"It doesn't bother me at all, and I would love it!"_

 _Belle broke down._

 _"That's the nicest thing anyone has done for me since my mother died!"_

 _Overwhelmed by Tinker Bell's kindness, Belle sank to the floor and began to cry harder. Tinker Bell sat with Belle on the floor of the empty corridor and held her close, the way a mother would. She held Belle and gave her kisses, her heart filling sorrow for her because she had no idea that the princess was motherless._

 _When Belle finally calmed, Tinker Bell shrank to her natural size and said to her, "Show me where Violet and Jade are."_

 _Even if this newfound mother-daughter bond hadn't just developed between Belle and this magical creature in front of her, she knew better than to say no to a fairy, so she led Tinker Bell to the bedroom where Violet and Jade were sound asleep in their beds, dreaming._

 _Still in her tiny form, Tinker Bell kissed Violet and Jade on their foreheads, blessing them. With her wand, she send a shower of extremely strong fairy dust through the room, and it was all absorbed by Belle and her children._

 _"There you go, my friend." the fairy said, landing on Belle's outstretched palm. "You and all of your children will have happy endings, love, joy, and my blessing."_

 _In awe of what had just happened because it wasn't at all a commonplace occurrence, Belle managed a response. "Thank you."_

 _Tinker Bell smiled and tilted her head to the side. "Something tells me that there is one last thing that you want to say, isn't there?"_

 _"Yes, but I just hope that it isn't too forward."_

 _"Try me."_

 _"Are you a mother?"_

 _Tinker Bell flew off of Belle's hand and became human sized. "Once upon a time, I was."_

 _"What happened?"_

 _At the risk of having her own breakdown, Tinker Bell kept it simple. "I loved her from the moment I knew she was there, but something went wrong with my magic one day and I wasn't allowed to keep her anymore. My deepest wish is that she has the best life possible now."_

 _"I see…"_

 _Tinker Bell gave Belle her most heart-filled hug yet and then became small again._

 _"Be good, Belle." she told her friend. "Look after yourself and your beautiful children."_

 _"I will." Belle told her. "Thank you for everything."_

 _Tinker Bell blew her a kiss and flew away through the nearby open window._

"Belle?"

"Belle!"

The dark-haired princess jumped when she realized that her name was being said. When she came to her senses, she saw that Red was back and unloading a tray of food at their dining table.

"Oh, hello." Belle said softly.

"What were you thinking about just now?" Red asked her as she sat and they began tucking into some slightly questionable porridge. "Care to share?"

"What do you make of the fairies? Have you ever seen one of them before?"

Red nodded. "I've actually seen three of them."

 _"Three?!"_

Again, Red nodded. "Nobody believes me, but Blue appeared to me, as did her pink-wearing protégé, Nova, as well as the fairy whom Blue treats more like her daughter than her pupil. She wears all green, but she calls herself Tinker Bell."

Across the table, Belle was amazed. "How in the world did you get _three_ fairies to appear to you, namely the _leader_ and the two she keeps closest?"

"It was a stormy night, my horses had wandered off, and I was heavily pregnant, but my daughter surprised me by coming a month early. I wished for help and they all came."

"Who did what?"

"Nova and Tink found my horses, and Blue led me to this inn, actually. All three of them stayed with me until my girl was was born. I've only seen Tinker Bell since, and that was about a week ago."

Belle was taken aback and fascinated at the same time. "What did she do the first time she saw you?"

Red actually blushed. "I was very sad and hiding out in the woods because I didn't want anyone, especially my daughter, to see me cry about being lonely… and barren."

Belle's heart lurched at that last part, and she put a hand over her friend's. "Red, I am so sorry."

The older girl put a hand over Belle's, holding it in place, although she didn't realize she was doing it. Belle didn't mind, though: Red was very gentle and generated a pleasing amount of body heat.

"I found out from the previous midwife after my daughter was born that I'd never be able to have any more children because both my child and I would die. Don't get me wrong: I love my daughter with all that I have, but I would do anything for a baby boy, too, especially since she keeps asking me for a brother."

"You don't want your family line to die out, do you?"

"No," Red sighed. "I don't, but it probably will."

"What about your daughter's father?"

"Jefferson? He's a bit crazy, and even if he did know about our daughter, he wouldn't be interested in her."

"I know how that feels. Gaston isn't interested in Violet and Jade because they were both born girls; they don't really know him. Nobody back home knows that I'm expecting again, and I would rather it stayed that way, especially considering just how the twins were made."

"Then I'll take extra good care of you if the wrong people come looking for you." Red really wanted to ask Belle to elaborate on that, but decided against it and said something different. "This whole conversation started with you asking me about the fairies, but I'll ask you: have you seen any of them before?"

Belle nodded. "Tinker Bell came and visited me this month."

"What happened?"

Belle told Red everything, now having as much trust in her as she did in the fairy in question.

"Huh." Red sat back in her chair when her friend finished. "Interesting."

Belle raised an eyebrow. "Can you be more specific?"

"Tinker Bell came to check on my daughter and I a week ago, and she asked me if I was still feeling lonely. I couldn't lie to a fairy, so I told her that I was and she told me that my happiness is coming, but it isn't quite here yet. She also…"

Red's voice trailed off, as the next part usually brought teasing and various amounts of disbelief to whomever she told.

"Yes?" Belle prompted kindly.

"When Tinker Bell asked me if my daughter had godparents, I told her no, because she doesn't."

"She offered to be your daughter's fairy godmother, didn't she?"

"She did."

There was a beat of silence on Belle's part, and then, "Do you believe that everything happens for a reason? I do."

"You mean things like us meeting how and when we did? Yes."

Both mothers just sat at the table, thinking the whole conversation over, although not for long: Violet and Jade finally woke up for the day, so Belle and Red took care of them.

After the whole party was completely ready for the day, and in heed of Mira the innkeeper's warning to be careful because it was rumored that Regina the Queen's guards were on the prowl for the mysterious and elusive Snow White, Belle mounted Red's horse and put put baby Jade back in her sling while Violet elected to walk with Red and her other horse.

They were a strange traveling party, and they knew it, but nothing was going to stop them from reaching Westgate.


	3. Westgate

**I'm glad to see this story is getting follows and favorites because it's a good story and will get better, but if nobody is going to review it, I'm going to take it down.**

* * *

After a few stops along the way, although mostly to let Violet stretch her legs because she didn't like riding horseback for hours on end, they finally arrived at Westgate. It was around midday, just as Red had predicted, and mostly because Belle was nervous about showing up in a peasant village, she affixed the hood of her cloak on her head to obscure her face.

"Okay, Belle, here we are."

That was from Red when they entered the stables behind her cottage. Because Violet was reaching a point where she just wanted to be on the ground, Red helped her of the horse first and as she regained her footing, Red helped Belle off the horse, too. She took extra care to not jostle Belle's baby bump too much, or to upset Jade, who was camped out in the sling and coming off a grumpy mood.

"How are you?" She put one hand on Belle's elbow and the other in the small of her back, steadying her.

"Better, now that I have solid ground under my feet." Belle arched her back at Red's touch, appreciative and then cast a look at Violet, holding back a laugh as she did. "How about you go catch Violet? She looks really dizzy, and the last thing we need is for her to wander into a power of horse manure, or something as equally disgusting."

Red left Belle and caught Violet, and after a minute, she got her to stand still and watch her as she unloaded all of the cargo from the horses. Once she had everything ready, Red got her to follow beside her, almost the way a puppy followed its mother.

"How's Jade?"

Belle peeked in on her, smiling when she saw that she wasn't fussing anymore and even sucking her thumb.

"Perfectly happy. I think I'll take her out when we get settled."

"Good idea." Red beckoned with her head in the direction of her cabin. "Come this way."

In just a few short moments, Red, Belle, and the children were inside the cabin. The front room alone was filled with furniture in one area, near the roaring fireplace, while in another corner, there was a dining area near a window that looked out in the direction of the woods. Against a far wall was a door that Belle supposed led to the rest of the cabin.

"Where's your family?" Belle asked.

"Granny?" Red called. "Grace? Where are you?"

There was a muted thud somewhere in the back of the dwelling followed by a delighted squeal and the pounding of tiny footsteps across the floor. In the blink of an eye, the door that Belle had been thinking about burst open and a little girl wearing a purple dress came running through and straight for her mother's arms, giggling as Red scooped her up and gave her a hug.

"Mama's back!" little Grace cooed, hugging Red around her neck and kissing her cheek. "I love you!"

Red returned Grace's cheek and was about to introduce her to their new friends when Red's grandmother finally entered the room.

"Red, how many time I have I told you to not come yelling at the top of your l—why, as I live and breathe; it's _Princess Belle!"_

Red's grandmother, a stout, silver-haired, glasses-wearing older woman in a peasant dress and cloak, was very confused when she saw the princess of Avonlea, of all people, in her home and in the company of her granddaughter and great-granddaughter. She could clearly tell that Belle was carrying a baby in the sling on her front, and that she was pregnant, but she was even more surprised to see that the princess even had a pint-sized version of herself standing beside her.

Since when did Princess Belle have children?

"Please, just call me Belle." the princess told her as she lowered her hood. "I think Red can explain things."

The trader quickly explained the situation as it was, although it was in an abridged way because there were children present. When she finished, Granny just sighed and turned back to Belle.

"You and your children are more than welcome to stay with us for as long as you want, even if it's just for the night before you go to The Enchanted Forest." she told her. "I'm Larissa, but everyone, even the villagers call me Granny, so you may as well."

"Thank you, Granny, and I would appreciate it if nobody in the village or any kinds of passerby knew that we were here."

Though Granny looked stern at first glance, she was actually a very nice person who was full of nothing but love, and she smiled at Belle.

"Of course. I have to go take care of some things, but I'm sure that Red will be more than happy to look after your family."

Red nodded. "I will, Granny. Don't worry about us."

Granny gave the group one last smile and headed to the door, grabbing her cloak from the rack next to the door before exiting the cabin. When she left, she saw that Belle had taken Jade from her sling and was now cradling her in her arms. For no reason in particular, the woman in felt her heart skip a beat when she looked at the princess, but she told herself not to get attached because she'd probably be leaving in the morning.

"Here, Belle." Red forced herself to speak before things got awkward. "Let me take your cloak and help you get settled."

Red hung Belle's cloak up and led her to one of the back rooms, which turned out to be a bedroom. Red's bed was near the head of the room, and it was a large canopy bed piled high with blankets and furs that looked very inviting this time of year. There was also a bedside table, wardrobe, and bookshelf piled high with books and trinkets, too, reminding Belle of the bedroom she'd left behind at the palace. A fireplace was keeping the room warm, and at the other end, by one of the windows, there was a small child-sized bed, obviously meant for Grace.

"Here you go, my friend."

Red helped Belle sit on the bed and even took her boots off putting them away for her.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better now." she took Jade out of the sling and held her, nodding in the direction of the others as Red undid the sling and took it off her. "Look at that, though."

Grace was following her mother's example, and in a very clumsy, childlike way, was helping Violet out of her own cloak and shoes. When that had been achieved, Violet climbed up onto the bed while Grace put her things where she'd seen Red put Belle's.

"Mama, who is this?" Grace asked Red when she'd accomplished her task and joined everyone on the bed.

"Well, my tiny love," Red pulled her into her lap. "We've got some visitors, at least just for the night."

Grace was immediately curious and paid attention as Red pointed to each of the newcomers in turn.

"We've got Princess Belle and her two little girls, Violet and baby Jade."

Even at age three, Grace knew that she was a peasant and therefore near the bottom of the societal pyramid. She also knew that having a trio of princesses just showing up to her home was very unusual.

 _"Princesses,_ mama? _Real_ ones?"

Laughing a little at her offspring's incredulity, Red nodded. "Uh-huh, and they're all people, too. Now please don't forget to breathe."

Grace made a show of exhaling a breath she hadn't even realized she was holding and that drew giggles from Violet. When Grace glanced over at her, though, she became incredibly shy and buried her face in Belle's dress.

"Gracie-girl," Red gave her daughter a kiss on the top of the head to redirect her attention. "I think Violet is being a little shy, so we can talk to her again in a minute, but why don't you say hello to Belle and Jade first?"

Grace nodded and slid off her mother's lap so that she was sitting on her knees in between her mother and her mother's friend; she idolized her mother and wanted to be just like her, so she was happy to learn all she could about the tricks of hospitality and to practice it even more.

"Hello, Belle." Grace rose to her knees and curtsied to the best of her ability. "You're _so_ pretty."

Quite flattered by a compliment from one so small, Belle grinned and returned her kind words. "And so are _you."_

Grace giggled and took notice of Jade, who was watching her intently. "That's baby Jade?"

"Mhm, and she seems really interested in you." Belle propped her up in the crook of her arm. "Do you want to say hello and give her a kiss?"

Like her mother, Grace loved babies a great deal, so with Red keep her steady so she didn't lose her balance, she leaned forward and ever-so-gently pressed a kiss to the infant's forehead.

"Hello, Jade." Grace beamed when the infant cooed in delight. "You're a pretty baby. Yes, you are."

When Grace pulled back, she stood on her knees in front her mother. "Mama, are Jade and Violet my new sisters?"

Red laughed nervously and shook her head. "Sisters? No. New friends? Yes."

Grace couldn't help it, but she gave a dejected sigh. "I just want sisters..."

Violet, who had been hugging Belle all this time, withdrew from her and gently prodded her middle, wanting to check something out that she had noticed.

Belle bit back a chuckle because her daughter was extremely clever and she wanted to see if she could figure it out by herself.

"Mama," she asked after a few moments. "Is there a baby in there?"

"Two, actually."

Violet let out a delighted squeal and gave her mother's middle a few excited kisses and rubs.

"Hello, babies! Hello!"

Belle was losing her composure because she clearly not expecting that kind of response at all, so Red intervened and spoke to Grace.

"Little One, will you go show Violet where your toys are?"

Grace nodded in understanding. "Yes, mama."

She slid off the bed and beckoned to Violet to follow her. The toddler princess followed suit and when she stood, she took her new friend's hand when she offered it and let her lead her out of the room.

When they were gone, Red looked back at Belle and was taken aback to see her actually crying now. Plucking a whimpering Jade from her mother's arms and holding her in her own, Red also found a clean handkerchief and handed it to Belle, who made quick use of it.

"You must think I'm a mess." Belle told her after a minute or two. "Tinker Bell found me, and I'm still a fat, stupid mess."

"I don't." Red told her calmly. "I don't think you're fat, stupid, or a mess. Actually, I think that you're glowing from your pregnancy and just the right size, and that you're very smart, _and_ that you're _very_ beautiful."

Belle actually laughed a little bit, in spite of the situation and her mood. "You really know how to make a girl feel special."

Holding Jade in one arm, Red reached over and took one of Belle's hands in her own, stroking the pad of her thumb over the tips of her fingers. Belle stopped crying immediately because she felt a spark of some sort between her and her companion at the sensation of the touch alone. The look in Red's eyes told her that she felt it, too, so Belle watched in awe—and with what felt like a little bit of love—as the other woman pressed light kisses on her fingers.

"You _are_ special, Belle, and I can see that terrible things happened to you. I can also see that you need reminding at least every once in awhile that no matter what, you _can_ rise above it."

"Why do you care about me so much?"

"I'm just that kind of person, I suppose. What did happen to you?"

"It's a long story."

Red kissed Belle's fingertips again, and the quiet, almost imperceptible sigh of desire didn't escape her ears.

"I'm a very good listener."

"Do you promise you won't tell? I'd be so ashamed if anyone found out."

"You have my word." Red said seriously. "I will tell no one what happened to you."

Almost with regret, Belle sighed and pulled her hand away from Red's. In a very unceremonious manner, she fell back on the mattress and let out an even more unceremonious kind of sigh.

"Well, it goes like this..."


	4. Tinker Bell

The Blue Fairy was fuming, and when that was the case, the experience was never pleasant. She didn't anger dangerously very often, but when she did, everyone who could ran for cover where they could find it.

If you were her target, you were done for.

Such was the case on the night that Belle and her family stayed the night in Westgate.

Blue's target wasn't any of them, though.

She had someone else on her mind.

* * *

A few miles from Westgate, just inside the territory of The Enchanted Forest, Tinker Bell was walking down the path of the woods, enjoying the sounds of the nightlife. She still had some time before curfew, and since she loved being outside, she thought she'd get some exploring in because she'd never been to this part of the realm before.

All was well until she sensed a familiar presence nearby.

Well, that was fun while it lasted, Tinker Bell thought as she called out, "Alright, mother! I _know_ you're there, so you can come out and show yourself!"

In a rather theatrical manner, Blue descended from a high-up tree branch, although instead of landing on the ground, she hovered in midair and used her magic to shrink Tinker Bell down to her natural size and bring her to her.

Blue looked very upset. "Do you know why I'm here, Green?"

Tinker Bell promptly rolled her eyes at the use of her birth name and chose to be cheeky.

"Oh, I don't know." Tinker Bell surveyed her surroundings. "It is a nice night tonight; come to join me on my stroll?"

Blue fought the urge to roll her own eyes. "No, Green. I'm here because we need to have a chat about your meddling with humans."

"Technically, neither of them are human at all; they just _look_ it."

"That is neither here nor there, but you _still_ broke the rule about interfering with those who don't live in the flower fields, and seeing as you managed to evade me after you spared the life of Regina the Queen, your punishment will be twice as bad!"

The anger in Blue's tone told Tinker Bell that the time for further evasion was over. Now it was time to panic.

"Mother, please don't take my magic!" she cried. "I did what I did because I deeply care about Belle and Red, both!"

"You care about Red? Have you any idea of what she is?"

"Of course I know because I saw straight into her heart the moment that we met her! I am not afraid of her, nor is Belle!"

"I commend Yellow—"

Tinker Bell interrupted Blue, offended. _"Yellow?!"_

Tinker Bell shot energy at her mother to convey annoyance, not at all surprised when Blue casually absorbed it and said nothing.

"You and I both know that that is no longer her name because I had to change it after you made me give her away to _Lavender_ and her husband! If you talk about her around me, at least call her by her second name!"

"Fine." Blue huffed. "I commend Belle for not being afraid of Red, and I won't deny that she will be very, very good for Red one day."

Tinker Bell arched an eyebrow. "Did you see the future on this one?"

"Indeed, but I will not divulge specifics. What you did, even if it is a good thing, still doesn't change your breaking of the non-interference rule!"

Tinker Bell immediately shifted back to begging. "Please don't take my magic! Nobody's _that_ heartless—not even you!"

Blue had fully intended to strip her daughter of her magic, but she realized that she had a point.

"You're correct, child of mine. I won't take your magic."

The deadly calm with which Blue spoke made Tinker Bell wonder, just for a second, how good her mother actually was.

But then she was brought back to reality by a very abrupt sensation, much like a bee sting between her shoulder blades.

"Ouch!" yelped the fairy, already feeling naked without her wings. "Anything _else_ you want to take from me? Like my _dignity,_ perhaps?"

Quite amused by the sarcasm, Blue ignored the jab and surveyed Tinker Bell, deciding what she was going to do. Tinker Bell noticed at this time that Blue had made her wand appear and was now twirling it in her fingers.

"Know that no matter what, I _do_ love you, but you still have to face the consequences of your actions."

Blue said this after a moment of thinking things through before pointing her wand at her child.

"Tinker Bell, I banish you to this realm and the immediate surrounding areas until further notice. That means you are to live amongst the humans, but if you know what's good for you, you will stay away from Belle, Red, and all of their children."

Still in midair, Tinker Bell got on her knees and held her hands up in surrender.

"Mother, _please_ don't do anything else!" she begged, sobbing. "I'll be good! I'll be so good!"

Blue sighed, conflicted. She really did love Tinker Bell because she was her child, but she operated more on a 'tough love' scale. That being said, she wasn't without mercy.

"I banish you," she repeated, waving her wand again. "But you will not be alone."

The next thing Tinker Bell knew, she was being enveloped in her mother's magic and slipping into unconsciousness as she then quite literally drifted away somewhere.

Tinker Bell didn't wake for a long time after that, but when she _did_ wake, she was very surprised by what she saw.

First off, she was in what she deduced was the base of a huge, upended, but hollowed out tree. Further deduction told her that the hideout was concealed from animals and passerby outside, and she was thankful because until she got her bearings, she wanted as much time as possible to figure out her next course of action.

The second thing that surprised her was that she wasn't feeling her best. Last time she'd felt like this had been over twenty years ago. The question was, why was she feeling like this?

The last thing that surprised her was that she suddenly had a companion. Was this what Blue had meant by not being alone?

"Snow White?"

Indeed, the enigmatic daughter of none other than the recently deceased King Leopold was beside her, dabbing a wet cloth at her forehead. As Tinker Bell was new to the realm, she'd heard whispers of King Leopold's alleged murder and only knew who his daughter was because she'd spotted her wanted poster on a tree in the woods.

"Well, hello." the other woman greeted, helping her sit up. "I'm so glad you're awake now."

Tinker Bell exhaled an appreciative sigh at the feeling of the cool feeling of the cloth on her skin because she'd suddenly realized how overheated she was. Her mind was in chaos, but the relief was acting as an anchor.

"How long have I been out?"

"Nearly two days. I found you just outside of my tree, passed out and soaking in a rainstorm. You were already feverish." Snow explained. "You didn't choose to be there, did you?"

"No." Tinker Bell said softly. "I didn't."

"Then I won't scold you for possibly endangering your child."

"My ch—"

Tinker Bell's query tapered off when Snow nodded towards her middle. When Tinker Bell followed her gaze, she felt her heart do a flip-flop when she saw a palpable rounded bulge that hadn't been there a few days ago.

Ever so gently, she touched a pointer finger to it and in the blink of an eye, she felt a tiny, curious mind, still forming, reach out to hers and fill her own mind with love and warm colors. She was being told hello in the most basic way possible and it filled her with an incredible amount of joy.

Tears in her eyes, Tinker Bell turned back to Snow. "I didn't know that there even _was_ one."

"What's your name?" Snow asked curiously.

Realizing that a natural self-defense mechanism of disguise had kicked in, Tinker Bell waved a hand, releasing a shower of green fairy dust over herself, restoring her appearance.

When Snow recognized her, she almost fell back in surprise and was just as aghast as the fairy had been to see her.

"Tinker Bell? I've heard of you before, but what's happened to you?"

Tinker Bell used magic on herself again, this time curing herself of her fever and giving herself a different outfit, one that was easier to breathe in and one that was more suited to her new body shape.

"It's kind of a long story." she told her new friend.

"I'm not in a hurry to go anywhere. Are you?"

Tinker Bell gave yet another wave of her hand and then smiled at Snow. "Our hideout is now _completely_ hidden—just in case—and no, I'm not really in a hurry to go anywhere because I have nowhere _to_ go."

"Then tell me the story. I'm curious about you, and it looks like we have a lot of time now."

And so Tinker Bell began telling her story to Snow White, making sure to include the part about her firstborn, trusting her companion completely.

The bandit hung on to the fairy's every word.


	5. Nighttime Interlude

"Belle? Belle?"

The woman in question woke very abruptly at the sound of her name being called, and at first, she was confused when she saw her surroundings because she was in a bed that was neither hers nor Gaston's, but was yet more comfortable than both. Then she remembered how Red had found her, Violet, and Jade.

When she turned her attention to Red, she saw that she was tossing and turning, trapped in a nightmare. Quickly using some of the embers from the fireplace hearth, she lit her lantern and set it on Red's bedside table.

"Hey, hey, hey." Belle cooed gently to her friend, caressing her face and smoothing back her hair. "You're safe, Red. You're just dreaming. You're safe now."

Belle's calming tones broke through her fear-filled brain and Red woke up, breathing heavily because of her adrenaline. Instinctively, she held Belle's hand, and Belle was a little taken aback because Red was deceptively strong.

"You can keep holding my hand," Belle said as she helped her into a sitting position. "But I'm going to need you to loosen up your grip a _little_ bit."

When Red realized how tight her grip was, she immediately loosened it and moved aside to let Belle join her. As the princess joined her, the midwife watched her friend flex her fingers experimentally.

Feeling bad, Red placed a pillow on her lap and motioned for Belle to put her hand on it. Belle obliged and Red immediately used her own hands to massage it gently.

"Sorry." apologized Red. "I have a very strong grip that I take for granted, and sometimes I forget that outsiders aren't used to it. Grace is also remarkably strong."

So gentle was Red's touch now that Belle felt drowsy, but she fought it when she realized that Red was using this moment as an excuse to not say what she'd been dreaming about.

"Everyone's reflexes are different," Belle said as she recalled how accurate Gaston's had been, even at his drunkest. "And I'm sure there's a good story about why yours are the way they are, but how about we stay with something I'm _sure_ you'll answer?"

"You're wondering what I was dreaming about?"

"Yes."

Red squirmed a little and turned the color of her name. "It's going to sound odd because we haven't known each other for two whole days yet."

"You say that, and yet, we met you because you saved my children and me from a home of neglect and abuse. We've even shared a bed not once, but _twice_ now." Belle said to the older girl. "I think it's officially safe to say now, especially since we've already crossed paths with the four most well-known fairies in the world, that we can tell each other anything now."

Without any more preamble, Red said, "I had a dream that we were a family, and that we were happy."

"How happy?"

 _"Extremely_ , and in addition to Grace, Violet, and Jade, the babies in your womb turned out to be another daughter, but also a baby boy."

Belle felt panic ensnare her heart, and she put a hand over it. "A _boy?_ I _can't_ have a _boy!"_

Mostly so as not to wake the children asleep on the other of the room, Red moved the pillow aside and pulled Belle into her lap, holding her and rocking her.

"We don't know for sure that one of those babies _is_ a boy. They could both very well be girls." Red soothed. "Take some deep breaths, Belle. Deep breaths; we don't want to wake the little ones."

It took Belle a few moments, but she calmed again and even got Red to finish telling her about her nightmare.

"Everything was fine until _she_ came."

"Queen Regina?" Belle inquired.

"Yes. She came, and for some reason, we were all separated… but she burned Westgate down."

"That is _definitely_ terrible." Belle sympathized, giving her friend a hug since she was still in her lap. "If something like that does happen to us, though, I have a feeling that somehow, some way, we'd find each other."

As Belle said that, Red had no doubt about it because she and Grace had already imprinted on their new friends, almost out of instinct.

She soon became distracted when Belle clamped a hand over her middle and let out a gasp of surprise.

"What?" Red asked as Belle slid off her lap.

"I don't know." Belle glided her hand over her belly, firm and round to the touch. "All I do know is that even though the babies are very big yet, I felt them shift a little just now, and the next thing I know, my hand isn't aching anymore."

She held out her previously damaged hand out to Red and watched as she massaged it gently, although this time, she was checking to see if the ache was really gone.

"Belle," Red said in an inquisitive way after a moment. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but do you or your children have magic?"

Belle shook her head, surprised. "Not that I know of. You think this was that?"

"I do, and what if Tinker Bell gave you magic when you ran into her?"

"She did bless my children and shower us all in fairy dust, but I think she would have told me if she was gifting me with magic because fairies don't do that kind of thing without warning."

"I suppose that's true." mused Red. "What if you've always had magic, and this is a sign?"

"I'd love that because it would give me something to focus on besides the babies making me queasy." said Belle. "Magic was always a tricky topic with my parents because while my mother always encouraged me to learn everything I could about it, my father would lock me in my room, even after I became a mother, and he'd take all of my books on the subject. If I had magic, my father would finally leave me alone and he would stop trying to marry me off to someone I don't even love."

Though the hour was late, Red was wide awake now because of all that had just tumbled out of the fair princess' mouth. For a moment, she wondered if Belle had ever had any company as a child, and she couldn't wrap her mind around getting locked away as a form of punishment. It sounded barbaric.

"I'm so sorry that your father did that to you." she finally said. "He shouldn't have."

A cross between already missing Red's touch and wanting to express an emotion that she couldn't quite put a name on, Belle hugged Red.

"No, he shouldn't have, but it's in the past now, anyway. My children and I are _free_ and for the first time ever, we have actual friends."

Clearly, Belle's very soul was damaged and falling for her or not, Red made a vow to herself right then and there that she would do everything she could to help the princess heal her heart… that was, if she didn't leave Westgate in the morning.

"I'm glad we can be your friends, beautiful girl." Red returned the hug and kissed her on her temple. "How about we go back to bed?"

Belle thought that sounded very appealing, but unfortunately, the babies had other plans.

Getting out of bed as fast as she could and this time immediately clamped her hand over her mouth. Luckily, there was a back door in the room, so Belle opened it and cleared the doorway by a foot before she threw up on the ground.

Of course, Red was right behind her, helping her and holding her hair back as she coached her through it.

When she finally stopped, the two went back inside and gave Belle a fresh mug of peppermint tea, promising that she'd be back soon. They both knew she was going to clean up the sick, just like she had at the inn.

When Red returned from that and her hands were clean, she sat in a rocking chair opposite the one Belle was in by the fireplace.

"What are you thinking?" Red asked, noticing that she looked lost in thought.

"That the babies really like the tea because they've calmed again."

Red smiled. "The tea does wonders. How is your stomach?"

Belle exhaled shakily, but only because she'd been thinking about something else already, and Red's inquiry had caught her off guard.

"It's also settled, thankfully." Belle smiled. "Red when you and Granny say that we can stay for as long as we want, did you two mean it?"

"Absolutely."

"Then _may_ we stay? I like it here already, and if it really _is_ true about The Enchanted Forest being in disarray, the venturing into that, especially in my condition, wouldn't be wise."

Red could tell that Belle was rambling, but when she was patient. She spoke gently and lovingly to her when she was finished.

"Of course you can stay with us; you can all even live here." (Belle breathed a sigh of relief) "That being said, we are going to have to tell the rest of the village that you all are here because they're going to notice that my cottage has new occupants. Are you going to be comfortable?"

Belle nodded. "Yes, and we'd have to say it anyway because even in a month, I'm really going to be showing, and a month after that, the babies will be moving and kicking."

"That's all very true, and winter is fast approaching as it is."

They were both quiet for a minute, trying to both figure out how to express their true feelings for each other, but they were both too shy to say anything about it.

Belle got up and put her now empty mug in the sink before going to Red and holding a hand out to her.

"I feel a lot better now, especially knowing that we have a home now and that we don't have to run. Thank you." She pulled Red to her feet. "Let's go back to bed now before the children wake."

"Alright." Red held Belle's hand to her lips and pressed kisses to it. "To bed again."

Upon returning to the bedroom, Red blew out what remained of the candle in her lantern before crawling into bed with Belle.

They were both asleep in minutes, and whether or not it was because of the cold temperatures outside, they fell asleep holding each other.

Outside, the village of Westgate slept, not yet ready to be woken by the rooster.

As time marched on, it grew so cold that snowflakes began to fall and fall and fall, until eventually, the whole village was blanketed in snow. It was the first of the season.

The snow fell all the way through the night, under the light of a nearly-full moon.


	6. If You Stay

**Sorry it's been awhile—I had writer's block!**

* * *

The next morning in Westgate, Belle woke feeling even more rested than she had when she'd woken up at the inn with Red. She also felt ridiculously happy, and she wasn't even sure why. After a few moments of trying to figure it out, she remembered back to how she'd had a sore hand that was all of a sudden better with neither her nor Red even doing anything to it. She also remembered how Red had suspected magic, but as far as Belle knew, she and her family entire family line were human.

Besides—fairies weren't able to procreate the way humans did, mostly because there were no male fairies, nor had there ever been.

Then again, Belle was even sure why her mind _went_ to the fairies; they weren't the _only_ humanlike creatures in these parts that had magic—the _witches_ did, too.

"I _am_ not a witch."

Belle said that with such resolution that she accidentally woke Red.

"No." the older girl said as she stretched out much like a dog just waking up. "You are _not_ a witch—you're a _mother_ and a _very_ sweet friend."

The happiness that Belle feeling increased tenfold at those words, especially when Red wrapped her arms around her waist and laid her head against her side in a very endearing way. Gaston would have never in a million years done anything so thoughtful, and somehow, from Red, it felt right and natural.

"Thank you, Red."

Belle put one hand on the top of the older girl's head and ran her fingers through her long dark tresses, gently combing the tangles out. She placed her free hand on top of Red's hands, relishing in how gentle she was and that being touched without having to be afraid was even possible.

"That really means a lot to me."

"You are _quite_ welcome, and I'm glad I can make you happy."

"Speaking of that particular emotion, I woke up feeling really, really happy."

Red looked up at her. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

Belle continued to stroke Red's hair as she brought herself to meet her gaze. "It isn't, but it's led me to wonder if I actually _do_ have magic, after all."

"So _that's_ why you said what you said…"

"Mhm."

"Belle, if you _are_ magical, that means that someone has been lying to you for your entire life."

The princess gave a heavy sigh. "If that turns out to be the case, then I won't be too surprised. So much has happened to me in the last few years that I don't know myself at all anymore."

Red gave Belle an extra hug. "If you stay, I'll help you find yourself again… or even a better version of it."

Belle's heart swelled with love when she heard that offer, but before she could say anything, the rooster crowed outside.

"Time to collect the eggs from the henhouse." Red sighed as she got up and crossed over to the changing screen on the other side of the room. "Grace will be up in a little while to follow because she always does, and if she needs help getting dressed, she'll ask, but otherwise, she's very independent."

"Good to know." Belle said around a yawn as she rubbed her eyes.

A few moments later, Red emerged from behind the screen, dressed in a peasant dress with a red skirt, a brown bodice, and a cream-colored top. She even had on red leather gloves, and though Belle couldn't see Red's shoes, she was sure they were the color of her name.

Noticing the ashes in the fireplace, Red stoked them until the wood caught fire and warmed the room as it burned in the hearth.

Just as that part was achieved, Grace, Violet, and Jade woke at the same time. When Grace explained to Violet that it was time to go outside to collect eggs, Violet was immediately interested and decided to go with her and Red. As for Jade, she was very hungry, so once Red was gone with Violet and Grace, Belle sat with her on the bed and nursed her.

By the time that was finished and mother and child were decent again, Red, Grace, and Violet were done collecting the chicken eggs, but when Red returned to the bedroom, she was alone.

"How are you feeling?" she asked as she took off her gloves and set them on the bedside table.

"No illness, thank goodness. I'm just hungry… and the food that I left the castle with isn't much. We don't even have clothes besides what we've been wearing." Belle sighed sadly. "I have gold and silver, too, but because I'm a princess, I've never been able to have able to have my own money or much of it. What I do have, I stole…"

Red found herself marveling yet again over how brave her friend was.

"Granny is making breakfast for Grace and Violet right now, and there will be plenty left over for us. I can help out with clothes, though."

Red crossed the room and opened and oversized chest on the floor, next to the wardrobe. After perusing through its contents and humming to herself, she selected an armful of specific things, closed the chest again and went back to Belle, placing everything on the bed for her to see.

"Remember how I told you that I'm a midwife?" Red asked as she sat on the bed.

"Yes, and I think that that is a wonderful occupation."

Red laughed nervously. "Well, that being said, I also keep lots of clothes on hand for anyone who needs them, especially children because they grow so fast."

"And anyone from the village here can come bartering for them?"

"Correct, and I usually end up with more chickens or even gold, so I don't mind." Red squeezed Belle's ankle gently and indicated the assortment between them. "It's wintertime as it is and snow is coming any day now—maybe even today—so you all need warmer things; these all are for you and the children."

The gifts included warm dresses and cloaks, as well as boots and stockings, and even gloves.

"All of this is for us?" Belle asked, genuinely touched.

Red nodded. "Absolutely—I won't have you all going without."

"Then will you hold Jade? I think I have some things to barter with."

"Don't worry about that, alright, beautiful girl? You're my friend, and I suspect that you want that money to last, so I'm giving these to you."

Belle's bottom lip wobbled very dangerously and tears began falling down her face; she loved all the kindness, but it would still take some getting used to. Red was beside her in a heartbeat, comforting her and wiping her tears.

"Why are you crying?"

Belle answered the question with one of her own. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Because you deserve someone in your life who loves you and your children, and also someone who will show you that being loved is alright." Red hugged Belle, feeling drawn to her. "If you stay, I can even show you the finer points about regular, everyday life."

Any chance Belle had of answering that was dashed when Jade gave an impatient whine and reached out to Red.

"Well, hello." Red cooed to the baby as she took her into her arms. "How about I look after you while your mother gets dressed, hm?"

Jade just made a happy noise and snuggled up Red.

In a normal tone, the midwife said to her companion, "I suppose I'll go check on everyone else now. You take your time, Belle."

The woman in question gave a nod of acknowledgement and watched as Red closed the door behind her before looking down at her middle and framing it in her hands.

"What do you think? Should we move on?"

Belle's offspring remained still, so she gave her middle a gentle prod and posed a different inquiry.

"Or should we all stay here and be happy together?"

Suddenly, Belle felt a jet of something she could only describe as pure joy shoot through her body and she shuddered at the feeling, but only because it had been far too long since since she'd felt anything like that… and just what was one supposed to do when they were blindsided with a raw, unfettered blast of any emotion?

"You two sure are peculiar," Belle said as she finally got out of bed and began to change her clothes. "But I wouldn't mind because it means more for me to love… and if there are two of you in there, will you give me some kind of sign?"

Belle's offspring just wiggled more.

* * *

After breakfast, Grace wanted to play outside and naturally, Violet wanted to, as well, because by now, it was very clear that both little girls were totally inseparable.

One thing that was really nagging Belle in the back of her mind was that she still hadn't made up her mind about whether or not she and her family were going to stay in Westgate or not. But only because she hadn't had a chance yet.

Violet wanting to go outside wouldn't completely derail their plan to stay low, but as Red soon pointed out, keeping the little one inside would've just been confusing, so Belle found herself agreeing.

Just before they all went outside, though, something more on the unusual side happened.

"Belle, are you okay?"

The princess was all of a sudden overcome with a sensation in her nose that was going to lead up to a massive sneeze.

"D-don't mind me, Re— _ACHOO!"_

Belle emitted a massive sneeze that made it feel to her as though her brain was rattling around on the inside of her head; she only ever sneezed like that when she got sick, and even that was a rare occurrence, all by itself.

When she recovered, though, she found that everyone on the room, even Granny—who had been in her favorite chair by the fire, darning stockings—had all fallen quiet and were all staring in surprise at the same thing.

"What is it?"

"Them."

Red pointed at the sight and when she took a step back, she let out a squeak of surprise—just in front of her were a pair of _puppies!_

One was grey like smoke, while the other was black like the night. Both of them looked similar to wolf pups, although Belle knew that they were both entirely dog. And the longer she stared at them, trying to wrap her mind around the fact that they'd appeared out of thin air.

Belle got on her knees and extended her hands to the animals.

"Hello, puppies." she cooed to them when they became friendly with her. "Where'd you come from, hm?"

The grey puppy barked and the black one followed suit, although it nudged Belle's bump before giving her hand a lick.

Belle immediately got the message and her eyes filled with tears—this was the sign that she'd been looking for, that she was expecting _two_ babies!

Things got even more real when the puppies noticed Grace and Violet. The grey puppy padded over to Grace and leaned against her, lovingly. Quite surprised, but very happy to have a pet, Grace picked the puppy up and gave it hugs and kisses, like it was her baby. She even started fawning over it like it was one.

As Belle got to her feet, she let out another sneeze, and coincidentally, more magic.

"Mumma, look!" Violet squealed suddenly. "Look, look, look!"

Belle was more overwhelmed than ever—the black puppy had already found its way to Violet, rolling onto its back in submission to her. The magic, however, caused the puppy to levitate just to Violet's eye level, and it even wagged its tails and batted its paws in amusement, responding even more to Violet's titters.

Unfazed by the suspension, Violet plucked the puppy out of the air and cradled it lovingly as she began to explain that they were going to go play soon.

"Belle," Granny began cautiously. "Are you _human?"_

"I-I really don't know." she stuttered. "Pl-please excuse me."

She left the cottage quickly.


	7. Interlude

_**I know it's been awhile (I had writer's block), but here's a recap: Belle, Violet, and Jade are in the village of Westgate, and are being taken of by Red and her family. One of Red's neighbors knows that they're hiding out there, and has agreed not to give them away, as they're close to the Queen's Highway, and the last thing they need is for her to find them. King Maurice and Gaston know that Belle and the girls are gone, and they had a plan to go look for them to bring them back, but the Blue Fairy has just shown up to have a chat with them. Tinker Bell has been banished by the Blue Fairy to wander the Enchanted Forest, and as part of her punishment, is now heavily pregnant. She was rescued by Bandit Snow White, who found her in a rainstorm and nursed her back to health when she became sick. But on to the story: the Blue Fairy has arrived in King Maurice's war room, and she isn't pleased.**_

* * *

So surprised were Gaston, King Maurice, and the other members of the war council by the appearance of the Blue Fairy that all the did was just stare as she assumed the size of a human, rather than her standard size of six inches. Neither Gaston nor any of his men had seen a fairy in person before, and to say that they were flabbergasted to see the fairy queen was an understatement. King Maurice, on the other hand, was immediately on his guard because it had been quite sometime since he'd seen the fairy queen, and she didn't exactly like him.

Gaston spoke first, although his words came out in a stutter as he did so. _"R-Ruel Ghorm!_ What a surprise; what are you doing here?"

"It's come to my attention that you, and the others gathered here, intend to start out on a quest to seek out Princesses Belle, Violet, and Jade."

"Yes, we are." nodded Gaston. "Belle has run off with the children, and we can't have that."

"Why?"

"Belle is to be my wife, and she needs to know her place. I also think that she is trying to avoid my parents."

"Queen Beverly and King Irving, if I'm not mistaken, from the Kingdom of Kaelsara-on-the-sea. I don't blame Belle for leaving."

She spoke in a tone of disgust that left Gaston bristling. He was tempted to draw his sword because he didn't take kindly to anyone who insulted his parents, but he reeled himself in, holding his tongue to the best of his ability: the magical creature before him was extremely old and extremely powerful, and if it behooved her, she could very well turn him into a flower and not think twice.

"What makes you speak this way of my mother and father?" Gaston finally managed to ask. "They are good people."

"They were—once upon a time, until they advocated for the Ogre Wars and took up with Queen Regina, the sordid."

"She is not _sordid!_ I've met her several times and found her very pleasant!"

Poor, deluded child, Blue thought as she blanched inwardly.

"Queen Regina is neither here nor there at the moment. What is important is that you suspend the search for your family immediately. Not doing so will greatly endanger Belle's future."

From somewhere on Gaston's right, one of his men sneered, "And what is family to you, fairy?"

Affronted by being spoken to in such a rude manner, Blue crossed the small space in the throne room between herself and the others. The closer she drew, the more the others gave her a wide berth, and when she stood toe-to-toe with the man who had been rude to her, she watched in delight as he took a backward step, intimidated by her. She gave a twirl of her wrist, making a puff of blue smoke appear where the man had been standing, and when it cleared, they saw a pile of clothes.

Almost immediately, they heard the chirping of a bird.

Using the toe of her shoe, Blue nudged the clothes of her shoe to reveal a tiny sparrow. Blue held out a finger and whistled to the bird. It flew obediently to her finger and whistled at her.

Blue raised the bird so it was level with her eyes. "Family is the same to me as it is to you. Do you understand?"

The bird bobbed its whole body, conveying its understanding.

"Wonderful."

Blue held her free hand out and immediately, her wand materialized in it. With careful precision, she tapped the sparrow with it. The bird became drenched with fairy dust, and it chirped a merry, complicated tune and nuzzled itself affectionately against her thumb—clearly, it had forgotten everything and thought itself to just be a regular little sparrow.

"Be good and fly somewhere safe."

The bird chirped again and flew off through a nearby broken window.

King Maurice, who had been watching in equal parts fear and astonishment, cried out. "Oi! I thought you were of the _benevolent_ variety!"

"Not when someone questions me about family."

She surveyed Gaston and the others.

"Let the fate of that man be a lesson to all of you here—never question me about family. Ever."

Gaston spoke up. "Then what do you want? You have said why you don't want for us to carry out this quest, but you still haven't said specifically what you want."

"I want for all of you to stay here, and to leave Belle and the children be so they can start new lives, for the good of their fates."

Blue whirled around to face the king.

"And you!" she barked. "You should know better! What would Belle's mother say?"

Properly put in his place, King Maurice turned to Gaston. "Whatever plans you had to look for my daughter and for the children, suspend them."

"But—"

"You heard me!"

"Yes, your majesty." Gaston answered through gritted teeth. "Anything else?"

"Please leave—all of you."

Obediently, the king's war council, Gaston included, left the throne room. King Maurice didn't speak again until it was just him and Blue.

"What am I supposed to do?" he asked. "Am I really supposed to let Belle and my grandchildren just go?"

"Yes."

"But Belle is engaged to Gaston—she has been since he first met her after you first brought her to Lavender and I! Belle's desertion is all kinds of improper!"

"You know as well as I do that that feistiness is in her blood, and that in due time, she will realize that she is capable of so much more than she already is."

The king sighed again, realizing he was fighting a losing battle. "Be that as it may, adopted or not, Belle still has a duty to perform."

Blue gave a sardonic chuckle."You say 'duty,' but I hear 'forced marriage' and 'forced childbearing.' You want for Belle to produce a male heir for Gaston's kingdom since there aren't any for Avonlea?"

"That is correct."

"You also recall the deal I made on behalf of Belle's mother after I delivered her to you and Lavender when she was a wee babe?"

"Where is Belle's mother?"

"Indisposed. Need I bring in R—"

"Do _not_ say his name! The last thing I need is that stupid, meddling imp wandering around here!"

"Alright. I'll take my leave of you, but only if you can tell me the most important part of the deal I struck with you and Lavender."

"That once Belle came of age, it would be up to me to start fixing the kingdom because the Age Of Prosperity would be at its end, and that we were to expect no more aid from you. We just didn't bank on the mess regarding the ogres, or that it would ruin things almost to the point of irreparability. I most certainly didn't bank on what happened to my wife…"

Blue arched an eyebrow. "Finish telling me the rest of the deal."

"Once Belle became of age while under our care, she would be allowed to do as she pleases because she isn't human and technically possesses the power to smite me if she so desired. She also has the split personality that emerges when it detects her to be in true peril. The split personality is also a defense mechanism that's just part of who Belle is."

"Correct. Now go about your business and do what you must, but leave Belle be, otherwise, I will point her mother in your direction and tell her that Belle has run off."

"Pointing her here won't be necessary, but I understand."

"Outstanding." Blue resumed her natural size. "Good night."

* * *

A little ways away, in the Enchanted Forest, Snow White and Tinker Bell had set up camp for the night in a clearing just off the road they'd been traveling on. Using her magic, Tinker Bell concocted a very nice shelter and a roaring campfire while Snow had gone out hunting for food. They were not only friends now, but also traveling companions, too.

Neither had a set destination in mind, but it was a mutual agreement that because Queen Regina was rumored to be on the prowl, they would make an effort to stay out of her way.

The bandit and the fairy were enjoying each other's company, and getting to know each other, true enough, especially now that Tinker Bell had told her tale, but tonight, the bandit was feeling jumpy.

"What's wrong, Snow?" Tinker Bell asked.

Snow nodded towards her friend, who was leaning back on her hands and exhaling noisily. The whole reason they'd stopped for the night was because Tinker Bell had said the baby was rebelling against them having been on the move all day. For the last hour alone, it had been kicking steadily.

"Nothing with _me."_ Snow laughed. "I was just wondering if you're in labor, or something."

This time it was Tinker Bell's turn to laugh. "No, I'm not. When I was in labor with Belle, I was in so much pain that I was generating shockwaves of pain."

Snow gave a wince at the thought. "So you're saying I'd know because I wouldn't be able to it next to you like I am right now?"

"Yes." Tinker Bell sat up and ran her hands over her swollen middle. "I still have a few more months to go, even though my mother only put me in this condition the day before yesterday. Tonight, I just have an extremely fidgety child, and it's also been over twenty years since I was last pregnant. I stopped aging when I was twenty-one, but my body definitely feels the passage of time."

"How…?"

Snow started to ask a question, but it faltered, feeling embarrassed. Tinker Bell gave her a kind, motherly smile when she realized what the younger woman was getting at.

"Are you wondering how old I am?"

"Yes. Fairies are said to live for centuries, but until you, I'd never even seen a live one. Suddenly, now that we're friends, I'm finding myself all kinds of curious about you, Tink."

"I don't mind the question, Snow, and to be truthful, I've never had a friend before." Tinker Bell smiled more. "My daughter and I have the same birthday, and I have no doubt that she's going to live to see at least one hundred years of age. I, myself, last month turned three hundred and twenty-one."

"Wow." Snow remarked in awe.

Tinker Bell smiled in amusement. "Thank y—okay, okay…"

"What is it?" Snow asked, balancing on the balls of her feet in a squat, jumpiness renewed.

"The baby does not appreciate mumma being upright."

"Do you want to go lay down?"

Tinker Bell shook her head, and with a wave of her hand, she made a pile of pillows appear. She laid against them and immediately feeling her body relax. Arranging herself very carefully, she turned to Snow.

"I'm fine. Really."

Feeling reassured, Snow sat back beside her friend. "Someone else is pleased."

"Hm?"

Snow pointed to Tinker Bell's middle. It was ensconced in a soft orange aura, and Snow saw stars and sparks emanating from the rounded bulge, as though they were being created on the spot.

"Belle did this when I carried her, except she made bubbles, and they were sunshine yellow. I guess the baby is happy, too."

"G—oh, no!"

Though not equipped with supersonic senses like her companion, Snow had heard two people just outside the perimeter of the campsite, and they were on horseback.

"Hide us!" the bandit hissed.

In the blink of an eye, faster than what a naked human eye would be able to detect, all traces of the campsite vanished.

They listened, straining their ears, and when Tinker Bell recognized one of the voices, her heart sank.

It was Gaston.

"If you're going to get cold feet, Nathaniel, then just leave!"

Nathaniel hesitated. "But you saw what the Reul Ghorm did to Kurt—she turned him into a sparrow because he was rude to her!"

"Push my patience any further, and you'll find yourself wishing that I had the power to turn you into a sparrow!" growled Gaston. "Are you with me, or not? I don't care what that fairy said. You have always been my loyal companion, and Belle needs to be put in her place."

"I'm with you." Nathaniel promised. "Shall we enlist Queen Regina's help?"

"Not yet," Gaston decided. "But that is a good idea."

"Are we moving out, then?"

"Yes."

"Let's go."

And so Gaston and Nathaniel left.


End file.
